One Year Anniversary of the Dallas, Texas Ambush

On July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling was killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile was killed in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Both were killed by police officers. Protests organized across America.

On July 7, 2016, people organized a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas, Texas. At the end of the protest in Dallas, gunshots ranged out. Five Dallas police officers lost their lives. Nine other officers and two civilians were injured.

The Dallas Police Officers who lost their lives were;

Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, age 48. He joined the department in 2002.

Sgt. Michael Smith, 55, had been with the department since 1989.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Officer Brent Thompson, 43, had been with the department since 2009. Thompson was the first DART officer to be killed in the line of duty since the department’s inception in 1989.

Officer Michael Krol, 40, had been on the force for 8 years.

Officer Patricio “Patrick” Zamarripa, 32, who had been with the department since 2011.

Micah Xavier Johnson was found to be the person who fired upon the group of protesters and police officers. Johnson was an Army veteran who reportedly was angry over the police shootings of black men. Micah Xavier Johnson was killed after police deployed a bomb-carrying robot.

The LA Times reports on programs available for the still grieving officers;

A year later, Dallas officers are still grieving, but scores of them have received or are on track to receive specialized training in mindfulness and other stress-management techniques that aim to teach police how to better understand and control their emotions, both on and off the job.

“One of the most powerful things you can do is teach people that it’s OK to be human. It’s not possible to walk through this profession and come out unscarred. It’s a difficult, difficult walk to be a police officer,” said Richard Goerling, a police lieutenant in Hillsboro, Ore., who teaches the mindfulness training.”

On the one-year anniversary of the deadly ambush, survivors shared their stories of courage, bravery, healing and hope. The officers’ lives have not been in vain.

I wouldn’t call him a nut. He was someone’s troubled family member. He was a product of America. A country filled with violence, that is in some ways approved by, and taught to us from infancy in this country full of “legal” weapons. So, when one group perpetuates the “slaughter first” and ask questions later, the aftermath of Dallas is what you are left with.

Mindyme,
If we look back at history, the times when people in this country used violence against the government is when the government or a hate group used physical violence against them. Because the government and certain hate groups always have more powerful weapons, they always won. They are also protected by a second layer which is to prosecute for crimes. Thus, even if the people win by using physical violence, they lose if they survive because they are carted off to prison. It goes back to the Native Americans, then Black Wall Street and other places.

As it pertains to justice in the judicial system, until juries respect the lives of all more than respecting the uniform of defendants, and decide cases based on evidence and the law, we will have injustices. Until the judicial system recognizes that discretion is not given to law enforcement to take lives, we will have injustices. When we hear experts say that the officer followed training, that is not discretion. If officers are not given discretion to fire a warning shot, then their training is what citizens should challenge. Until juries are educated in the judicial process that leads to charges and prosecution, we will have injustices.

That there good police officers there is not doubt. That there are bad police officers there can be no doubt. There is no golden planet from which we obtain our police. They come from the same place our criminals do. That is the point. They come from society at large.

That is all the more reason that they should be watched closely. The public wishes to either demonize them or deify them. A police officer is just as likely to be either virtuous or vile as anyone else. The problem is that far too many of them have no fear of the consequences of wrongdoing.

The prevailing attitude seems to be “I’m a cop. I know how to cover my trail for any crime I decide to commit, And if worse comes to worse, I can count on other cops, the D.A., the judge, and the jury to be on my side. Hell, they’re basically all part of my defense team”!

In the past they have been quite correct in that assessment. I am not prepared to take up arms while there is a legitimate chance for positive peaceful change. However it is simple recognition of reality to face the fact the clichéd platitude we were taught as children; namely that violence never solved anything was a flat out lie used by those in authority over us to assist in keeping us under control.

It has as much validity as the tooth fairy. Even the most cursory examination of history leads to the inescapable conclusion that violence has been the solution to many problems.

There is a very good reason that police do not casually gun down members of groups such as the Hell’s Angels. They are perfectly aware that most if not all of them are involved in the whole gamut of crime. Yet they treat them with a respect black people have never been shown.

We applaud a nation that practices a policy of strong deterrent, yet we turn right around and pretend that such a policy works in no other setting. That we in ourselves should pose no deterrent to someone wishing to harm us. That is simply not true. I submit that it is not even rational.

As unfortunate as this incident was it had the undeniable effect of spurring the Dallas Police Department to positive action whereas before they were quite content with a mouthful of platitudes and their posse of tame black preachers to smooth things over until the next killing of an unarmed black man or woman. Even infant children asleep in bed have been recently gunned down by trigger happy cops and no one punished.

Toni,
I’m afraid I don’t understand where you’re coming from. If we visited a foreign country, we would be expected to follow its rules or suffer the consequences. Maybe I should ask what rules of behavior you think are exclusive to America and why they should not be followed?

Not be followed?
Read it again!
I said if you don’t follow, you will feel the wrath!
They should be followed, or expect to be dead! I didn’t say they would show you justice, or apply the law equally! When have we ever seen equal justice in this stolen land? But, who has the military-like police force to bring forth to control those who step out of line? Where are the Panthers? Where is Marvin Gaye, who said what’s going on? Where is Sam Cooke?
Whose country?

Toni,
Again, I’m not trying to be argumentative. I seek to understand what YOU mean. For example, what do YOU mean by “follow”? In your previous comment, you said following the rules. I would like to know what rules you are referring to and if there’s anything wrong with those rules, to tell us.

I don’t believe violence can solve anything either! You are reading me wrong! I give you facts, and don’t confuse them with dreams or wishes! I don’t carry a gun, nor do I condone gun carrying! I condemn violence, and believe the stick that the English carried should have been enough!
Of course, America has two faces. One side, like Jay Parks said, is for us, and the other side is not.
Toni Mariani

Kudos to you Xena on this post. I like how you wrote bullets don’t discriminate. Unfortunately , it’s people that discriminate. This post also reminds everyone of your humanity and universalism. Also people who post here aren’t cop haters nor do we condone crimes by Black people. We who post here believe in justice and equity.

Would it be OK if I cross-posted this article to WriterBeat.com? I’ll be sure to give you complete credit as the author. There is no fee; I’m simply trying to add more content diversity for our commu5nity and I enjoyed reading your work. If “OK” please let me know via email.

Thanks for reminding us with this heartfelt entry. I do think it is important to not use language such as “shots rang out” and “lost their lives” and write a more accurate phrase such as “a sniper opened fire” and “were murdered.” These phrases more accurately reflect the horror of the situation and the fact that this was of something that “simply happened.”

Hello Bill.
Thanks for your comments and your recommendations. In this post, (as well as some others), it is not my intention to write to persuade or influence but rather, to express compassion. The word “ambush” in the title pretty much covers those things that you have pointed out. Isn’t it great that people can write using words to express themselves without trying to please everyone? I think so. If that isn’t true, then we would have cookie-cutter books with all authors sounding the same.